Today (October 10th) is World Mental Health Day, so it’s the ideal time to share mental health advice. These tips, hacks and lessons for reducing anxiety come from award-winning therapists, bestselling authors, neurologists and more. Here’s what they recommend.
- Find rituals - Psychologist Dr. Ethan Kross explains that strategic rituals can take your attention away from the negative voice inside your head, which he calls “chatter,” by giving you a sense of control. Kross says his ritual is cleaning up and organizing because it gives him a sense of agency and control - something he lacks when he’s experiencing chatter. Your ritual can be whatever you choose, like going for a walk or gardening, the key is just engaging in something that requires your full attention.
- Use music to your advantage - Certain melodies can boost your mental health, according to neurologist Dr. Kulreet Chaudhary. “Music absolutely can change the way that your brain is firing,” she explains. “Classical music and ancient mantras, for example, are extremely mathematical - each rhythm and harmony has a specific ratio and rule - and your brain thrives on that order.”
- Find your posture - Manual therapist and movement coach Aaron Alexander explains that your body position can influence your mood. “If you’re in a position all the time, it becomes your personality,” he says. Since the way you approach the world with your physical form can shape the way you feel, try to focus on and visualize the way you want your shoulders, spine, hips, knees and ankles to feel, then figure out what postural patterns will get you to that goal.
- Set a “You’ve got this” reminder - A confidence hack from entrepreneur Lisa Bilyeu helps ease her jitters before a public speaking engagement, but can help anyone trying to overcome the negative voices in their head. “I type in, ‘You've got this’ with a little muscle emoji, close my eyes, and I spin my alarm [on my phone],” she explains. “I don't know what time I've set it for, and I just press save. So now what happens is at random moments for the next two weeks, I'll get a notification on my phone at random times that says ‘You've got this.’”
Source: Mind Body Green